Death Brings New Life
by CrimsonCat101
Summary: ON HOLD. Naruto dies, but Kyuubi makes a deal with The God of Death.
1. New Life

Hey! I'm the new writer in town and document manager is finally working. Allowing me to submit stories FINALLY! Just to let you now REVIEWS make me UPDATE FASTER! (hint, hint) I despise flames! LOVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM. Well enjoy the works.

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. Owned by Masashi Kishimoto

Death Brings New Life

-New Life-

Kakashi ran through the forest at a quickening pace. His feet pushed by the chakra he released. The tree limbs cracked.

_'Am I too late?'_

Kakashi released more chakra as his worries grew. His eyes widened when he reached his destination.

In the middle of the clearing lay Naruto.

Kakashi rushed to his side in a second. His eyes widened even more when he saw a familiar hole imbedded in his chest. No question caused by a 'chidori'. His quivering hand reached the blonde to check his heartbeat. Kakashi winced when none was present.

Not a single heartbeat.

It was all his fault.

He was the one who taught Sasuke 'chidori'. It was he who didn't sense Sasuke's eventual betrayel. It was he who wasn't there for his team; abandoning them for the precious Uchiha who betrayed them nonetheless.

The rain began to shower him and his student. Covering the tears that fell from Kakashi's eyes that day. The sadness enveloped him as the rains intensity grew.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto"

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Naruto awoke at the place he fought Sasuke. He felt for the hole in his chest instantly, but found that the hole didn't exist. He looked up. It was then that he noticed that the sky wasn't right. The sky was gray, swirling with different shades of the single color.

_'Where the hell am I?'_

The blonde turned around to see a white door, with what looked to be a half-human-half-demon standing in front of it. The fear froze him instantly. Whatever stood in front of him scared him more then anything he had faced so far. It had white hair and a sword that lay horizontally in it's mouth. It was somewhat transparent and had marking along its arms. The marking looked somewhat like Sasuke's own cursed marking. It looked directly into Naruto's blue eyes. Naruto tensed and began to sweat. whatever it was, it was scaring him good. It then took the sword out of it's mouth, continuing its cold stare.

**"I am a shinigami; I have come to deliver your death."** Naruto shivered at the cold words; falling back with empty eyes.

"So, the one I thought of as a brother killed me." Naruto's voice held no emotion, but inside he felt nothing but sadness. Suddenly his seal glowed on his stomach. Naruto noticed this and lifted his shirt. The Kyuubi came out and stood beside Naruto. The Kyuubi growled at the boy, glaring at him with intense eyes as big as Naruto.

**"You brat! You got me killed! Dammit!" **He growled. The bijuu turned his gaze toward the god of death. **"Let's make a deal."**

**"What makes you think I'll deal?" **The Death God questioned the demon. The Kyuubi gave a menacing grin. He glanced at Naruto then looked at the shinigami in the eye.

**"Because my deal involves that scum Orochimaru." **The Death God looked at the bijuu intently.

**"What are you proposing?"** the shinigami asked.

**"I know you hate that bastard Orochimaru for cheating death with that jutsu of his."** Shinigami continued staring at the demon and its human container. **"So what if we killed him in exchange for a second chance at life."** Kyuubi continued. The Death God stared at the demon fox, obviously considering the deal. Naruto was silent, observing both of the greater beings.

**"You strike a good bargain demon." **The shinigami brought his gaze upon the blonde human. Naruto held his ground, wondering if he'd get life or death. **"It's seems you get to live longer child."** Naruto almost jumped at getting another chance to live. **"But heed my words,"** Naruto listened carefully to the words that came out of the shinigami's mouth. **"If you die again there will be no third chance at life and also, you must kill Orochimaru yourself or you will die."** The Death God turned its gaze back to Kyuubi. **"It seems you get to live longer with this human," **Shinigami moved away from the large white door behind him, and turned his gaze back upon the human. **"Now, this door leads back to the world of the living; I suggest you get going." **With that said, the god of death vanished, leaving a smirking demon fox and a startled Naruto.

**"Lets go brat."** Kyuubi remarked then disappeared back into Naruto's seal. Naruto faced the white door in front of him. He slowly walked up to it, turning the golden knob. He opened it to see white mist and hesitantly walked inside.

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Naruto awoke to the familiar sight of Konoha's hospital ceiling. He felt weak, but strong enough to run. He continued to lie on the white-sheeted bed. He then heard crying outside his door.

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"I tried t-to s-s-save him b-but h-he truly is d-d-d-d…." Tsunade couldn't get the words out for she was sobbing between each word. "I used e-e-every s-s-single medical jutsu I know." She stuttered. She continued to wail only having Kakashi to lean against, her tears drenching his jonin vest. Kakashi had a look of sadness and guilt.

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Naruto's heart clenched at hearing the Hokage's words.

_'I have to tell her I'm alright.' _Naruto thought. He began to get out of bed when Kyuubi's voice reached him.

**_'Listen boy, I'm afraid I can't let you do that.' _**Naruto stopped what he was doing instantly.

_'How come I can hear furball?' _Naruto wondered.

**_'Listen brat, the seal was weakened when you died. I'm not sure about the details, but we are able to communicate mentally. Right now, we need to leave this village.' _**Kyuubi explained. Naruto had a puzzled expression as he sat on his bed.

_'Why?'_ The blonde questioned angrily.

**_'We need to leave so that I, myself can train you.'_**

_'How come we can't do that here?' _

**_'Do you want Konoha involved?'_**

_'No of course not!'_

_**'Well then get dressed and leave.'**_ Naruto complied and got dressed into the torn up orange clothing that he possessed. Kyuubi made a mental note to burn that as soon as he got him new clothes. Naruto opened the hospital window to see that he was on the second floor. He leapt from the window and used chakra to ease the landing. He landed gracefully then looked at his surrounding. To his luck, his room was at the back of the hospital. He retreated to the Konoha gates careful as to not be seen. He reached the gate, to see it guarded by chunin.

'_How do I get past this without being spotted?_' He asked Kyuubi.

**_'Use Kage Bunshin to create two clones. The first will use a henge to become any type of Sound nin. The second will be your body, in order for them to believe that someone took your body. Not just like the body walked away on its own, so that we can give the impression you're still dead. This will create a diversion while you sneak across.'_**

_'That makes sense.' _Naruto agreed.

**_'Of course it does! I'm not you.'_** Kyuubi snorted. Naruto sent him a mental glare to scare him, but to no avail. He was near the wall when he hid behind a tree and made a hand sign.

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**

Naruto looked at the two solid clones he formed. One clone then formed a hand sign.

**Henge no Jutsu**

The clone took on the appearance of Kabuto and smirked. The Kabuto shadow clone grabbed the Naruto clone. The Naruto clone fell limp to give the impression that he was dead. Naruto smiled at his work while he moved to farther along the gate. He signaled the Kabuto clone to go across. The Kabuto clone dashed at the gate holding the limp Naruto clone. This act caught the attention of the guards immediately.

"It's the Sound! Alert the Hokage at once!" A chunin commanded one of the others. One leapt towards the Hokage tower leaving three chunin. While their attention was focused on the shadow clones, Naruto crossed the gate unnoticed. The three chunin prepared to fight, drawing their kunai. Once Naruto was across the border safely, he dispelled his jutsu. When the chunin were about to kill Kabuto, he puffed into smoke along with the Naruto clone. The chunin gaped at first, and then realized that Kabuto made a diversion with using clones while he escaped.

_'That was too easy.'_ Naruto thought as he escaped out of Konohagakure's reach.

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Well now that you've read it, click the button on the bottom left corner to submit a review. 


	2. Escape

CrimsonCat101:Sorry for the wait.(sighs) The teachers have not been kind to us have they.

(Begins to rip 8 page report)

CrimsonCat101:DAMN PAPERWORK!

Hikari Yume: Oi readers! Forgive me for this foolish soul knows not the meaning of deadlines. I am slow. All blame may be placed on me! Burn me at the stake...except not really. No! Get away from me! shameless plug Go read my stuff too if you have time.

CrimsonCat101:Don't be so hard on yourself! It's the teachers! It truly is! Don't blame us!

CrimsonCat101: I thank those that have reviewed, you made me post this 3 days earlier then planned. All those that didn't (I know who you are) review!

Anyway I want suggestions for Naruto's weapon, after I get enough, there will be a voting pole so review!!!!!!

Also there will be a little bit of a darker Naruto in the future, so yeah NarutoOOC later. 

Disclaimer:Do not own Naruto (I wish...$$$)

Death Brings New Life

-Escape-

The leaves rustled as a blonde genin dashed through the treetops. Jumping from branch to branch was an easy practice for the young ninja.

'_This is way too easy…' _Naruto paused, his face converting to one of uncertainty_. 'But I'm not sure I want to just __leave__ Konoha._' He dodged an incoming branch and continued his constant pace_. 'I_ _just—'_

'_**Listen brat! I'm sorry to cut off your never ending thoughts of regret, but we are not in the clear quite yet.' **_Kyuubi snorted. Naruto halted on a nearby branch.

"Huh?"

'_**The Hokage will alert the anbu to pursue, no doubt.' **_Kyuubi paused. _**'They will easily catch up to you.'**_ Naruto face became filled with worry.

'_WHAAAATTTT!?!?'_ Naruto thoughts burst through his minds landscape, earning him a menacing growl from his tenant.

'_**DAMN YOU! NOT SO LOUD YOU IDIOT!'**_ The bijuu roared, making Naruto wince. Knowing Naruto wasn't going to apologize anytime soon, he continued calmly. _**'I said **__**you**__** not **__**us**__**.'**_

Naruto brightened, _'I get it! All right fox! Give me your chakra!' _Naruto awaited the power to flow through his veins, his nails to lengthen, and his eyes to turn blood red. After a few seconds of feeling no different he prepared to question the fox when he answered for him.

'_**I cannot give you my chakra unless yours is greatly diminished or non-existent. So gather all of your chakra and go as fast as you can to Ta no Kuni. As soon as you run put of chakra, mine will take over.' **_Kyuubi explained.

'_Why Ta no Kuni?'_

'_**Kabuto would go there so now we have to.'**_ Kyuubi scowled.

'_Just grand.' _Naruto complained. He formed a hand seal and molded a blue chakra at his feet. "Alright! I've wasted too much time already." With that he took off with renewed speed.

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"The target is now moving at a faster rate." Three masked anbu gave chase to the oto nin. Each was clothed in black and gray armor, complete with armguards. Their shoulders were left uncovered, revealing the tattoo embedded on their upper left arm. The tattoo was a spiral that marked an anbu member. All members had a Ninjaken usually found strapped to their back. The white masks that covered their faces were made of porcelain; each having unique features referring to different animals.

The tallest one of the group halted on a tree limb. The other two noticed the absence, stopping two branches ahead.

"What's wrong?"

"The target is heading toward the north border between Hi no Kuni and Ta no Kuni. Therefore, if we use chakra, we should be able to catch him before he reaches the border with no problems. Since we have soldier pills, chakra exhaustion should be no concern." The bird-masked anbu concluded. The two anbu ahead of him nodded in agreement. Each then formed a hand seal and released the chakra at their feet. The bird-masked anbu nodded at the two and all three disappeared, heading northbound.

Their pace was brisk and smooth. The sounds they left were close to non-existent.

"The target is almost in range." The bird-masked anbu called to the others. They then saw flicker of orange. They were almost upon the oto nin when a killer intent swept over them. Instantly freezing under the murderous intent that made Orochimaru seem like an innocent little girl. They stood still, unable to break free of the fear that clenched their heart. Their minds screamed to flee, but an invisible force seemed to hold them in place. The orange was suddenly replaced by a pulsing red energy.

'_Is that chakra?'_

A small shockwave was released from the direction of the red chakra. It swept up the leaves and debris. The anbu shut their eyes as a reaction to the heavy wind that pressed for the slight second.

The murderous intent disappeared, and the anbu quickly recovered. Realizing then that the ninja was gone they glanced at each other.

The one that wore the bear mask spoke first. "What the hell was that?" He said, pausing between each word.

The one in the bird-mask replied softly. "I'm not sure." Silence swept over them, as life seemed no longer present.

The taller anbu spoke again. "The target has escaped…I can no longer sense the Oto nin's chakra anywhere near us."

"We should report our observations to the Hokage at once." The bear-masked anbu noted turning to his comrades. The two agreed silently.

They hurried off in the southwest direction, no longer using chakra to propel them.

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"Are we safe now?" Naruto questioned the fox, his voice slightly more distinct.

'_**Yes Kit, they stopped pursuing us a while back, and we're safely across the border.'**_ Kyuubi grinned; this kid sure wasn't boring.

Otogakure no Sato was directly north from where they stood, only a few kilometers. The village was practically run by Orochimaru, the legendary snake Sanin. Though not official, his business was conducted and the leader of the village didn't care…or couldn't. He took his experiments and pawns whenever he needed them, without effort.

"That's good." He undid the transformation, his claws receding, his eyes turning to its prideful blue, the whisker marks becoming less defined.

His body suddenly felt twenty times heavier. He was about to question the fox, when he fell over into blissful unconsciousness.

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"Can you get this for me?" An old man asked. He was clothed in simple village wear and stood next to a cabinet, pointing at small wooden bucket.

"Yeah, yeah." The girl was taller then the old man and wore unusual clothing. She wore a kimono-like wear; expect the bottom, which was a short skirt that ended a few centimeters above her knees. The arms were covered unless raised. The clothing was a simple solid black. The backside consisted of an upside down purple equilateral triangle, a blue bar three centimeters above that, and three centimeters above that was a red equilateral triangle. Her right leg had a shuriken holster attached to it. Her forehead had a steel hitai-ate with a musical note placed on it.

Her hair was black and pinned up by a back clip. Her eyes a dazzling ruby outshone much of everything. Her slim figure allowed her to seduce any man.

She reached for the bucket, pushing up on her tiptoes. After acquiring it she handed it to the old man. He shook his hands in front of him to silently refuse. The girl raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Akane, could you do an old man a favor and gather the herbs for me today?" The old man questioned his voice dry and raspy.

"Doesn't Takako usually do that? That's why we pay her." She snorted, opened the door and walked out into the serene forest. "Alright Gramps, I'll be back soon." She grumbled and turned away from the small house. The old man shut the door, smiling at the girl's antics all the while.

She walked in the forest looking for the correct herbs on her list. The first thing on her list, were small four-pointed leaves, essential for any wound. Locating those easily to her right she continued onward until the last item on her list.

'_Orange copper leaves next, eh.' _She began her search eagerly wanting to get home. She went around a tree catching a glimpse of orange. She walked over to the sight dodging a thorn bush on the way.

She now stood over a sleeping boy, garbed in a torn up orange jumpsuit. Scruffy blonde hair, and whisker marked cheeks added to his features.

'_What the hell?'_

"Get up you lazy bum!" When he didn't move she kicked him on the side of his rib cage. "Get up, dammit! This is no place to doze off!" She continued to seethe because he still didn't budge. Livid as she was, she finally realized he was wounded and probably unconscious. She calmed instantly and grabbed his collar by the back. She lifted him over her shoulder with one hand and carried him off.

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"Uuuugh." He raised his hand to place it on his forehead as his vision came into focus. "Where the hell am I?" He felt the bed he was on and noticed he was in someone's house. '_Hey furball! What the hell is going on?'_

'_**Well, being the idiot you are, you used my chakra for an extended time and forgot about the toll on your body. After using my chakra a portion of the damage is done to you, this time meaning chakra exhaustion. I estimate you've only been out for a couple of hours.'**_ Kyuubi growled. Naruto stood up, observing his surroundings.

'_**Damn blondes.' **_Kyuubi scowled.

'_Damn furball!' _Naruto grinned, knowing the fox was irate about being called a furball all the time.

Noticing steam from a nearby room, he slowly approached the source. When he entered the small kitchen he saw an old man making something that smelled familiar.

The old man turned around to notice the blonde walk in.

"Ah, your finally awake." The man said, smiling at him. "My granddaughter found you while harvesting herbs. I don't know what happened, but you're welcome to stay here." He paused then began to speak again. "Dinner will be ready in a minute I'm not much of a cook since my daughter, Akane, usually does it. So I'm afraid I can only serve you ramen today." Naruto's face lit up.

"No problems there. I absolutely love ramen! It's all that I adore in life." He beamed.

"Well, I guess I'm lucky, eh." He chuckled. "My name is Akita Hiroshi, and you are?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well Naruto-kun, may I ask why Akane found you in such a state?" Hiroshi said grabbing bowls out of the cupboard and beginning to fill them with the brimming noodles from the pot.

"Uh, not really." The blonde said grinning quite sheepishly.

"Well that's alright, but if you want to talk I'm open." Hiroshi set the bowls of ramen on the table. Naruto sat down, eager to eat.

"This really kind of you Hiroshi-san."

"It's nothing, I don't mind more company" He paused. "Now, where is Akane?" He walked to the door that led outside and opened it slightly. "Akane! It's time to come in!" He shouted as loud as a withered old man could. Naruto patiently waited knowing it was rude to start eating. The old man then started to walk away from the door, leaving it open slightly. A girl reached for the door handle and shut it behind her. Naruto looked up to see a girl quite a bit taller then him stride in. Her eyes were a dazzling ruby, something Naruto couldn't look at directly.

Red eyes reminded him too much of his killer.

"So the runt is finally up." She grunted.

Hiroshi sighed before speaking. "Naruto-kun, this is my beautiful granddaughter, Akane."

Naruto nodded and smiled. "Thanks for bringing me here, your hospitality is greatly appreciated." Akane's arms were crossed as she 'humped' and took a seat at the table.

'_What the hell is her problem?' _Naruto thought.

'_**I don't really care, but I do care about the hitai-ate strapped on that forehead of hers.' **_Kyuubi said, making Naruto curious to what he meant. The boy raised his eyes to rest on her forehead, dodging the red eyes. _**'That's right, an Oto nin. This could be a major turnaround of events. It's a good thing you pocketed your Konoha hitai-ate before, otherwise this would be a **__**really**__** bad situation.'**_ Kyuubi concluded, Naruto agreed.

'_Should I leave?'_

'_**Not yet, eat your fill and don't act suspicious. Then we will take our leave.'**_ Kyuubi explained.

Naruto raised his chopsticks, uttered an, 'arigatou', and began to splurge into the ramen. Knowing full well while he ate, that his bond to ramen would never break, unlike that bastard, Sasuke.

Akane ate, her eyes fixed on the blonde the entire time. Her eyes bothered Naruto, because it reminded him of a past long unforgotten. This aggravated Naruto.

"What's wrong? Is there something you don't like?" He strained himself, his anger characterized on his face.

"Yes actually, I'm staring at someone that happens to be eating in our home. You're also clothed in a torn orange jumpsuit. No matter how ungodly that is, there is still an unanswered question I'd like to ask." Akane replied, her eyes cold and merciless.

'_Shit! Kyuubi, this isn't going to well.'_

"Who are you?" She questioned harshly, Haroshi remained silent and had stopped eating a while ago.

'_**Think fast, kit.'**_ Kyuubi advised.

Naruto avoided her gaze, by looking at the floor. "I am a villager at the Land of Waves, and I…" He paused slightly. "I was attacked by a group of ninja's on the outskirts of the village. They chased me here, where I collapsed." The blonde said, hoping they were not going to question him further. If only they didn't…

Akane continued to throw questions rapidly. "What ninja village attacked you?"

"Mizu nin."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure."

"You're a civilian, right?"

"Yes?"

"Then why is there a shuriken holster on your right leg?"

"Uhhh…"

'_Shit, I'm screwed'_

'_**That you are kit. That you are.' **_If Kyuubi were human he would have his eyes closed, arms crossed, and head nodding solemnly.

Naruto felt cold metal against throat in seconds; a speed that rivaled a jōnin.

"Are you a Oto nin?" She whispered in his ear. Her words seem to suck all life dry. Naruto swallowed dryly, weighing honesty and little white lies. Honesty seemed to be the best choice here, since she would find out anyway.

"I'm a Konoha nin." He sighed.

"Prove it" Akane said, still clutching the kunai at his throat. Naruto reached into his pocket Akane tensed at the movement. The said blonde pulled out a steel hitai-ate with the Konoha symbol embedded on it.

The kunai loosened, slowly lowering from his neck. She sat back at her seat on the opposite end of the table.

"Why aren't I dead?" Naruto questioned, curious to the loss of the hostility.

"It's a long story." Akane sighed, beginning to eat the ramen, Hiroshi also began. Naruto was still confused, and made sure to make it obvious with his facial features. Akane noticed his confusion and set her chopsticks to the side of her bowl. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you please, I don't mind Konoha shinobi…it's a story for another time"

The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence, with outward gaping on top of that. Akane and her grandfather watched as Naruto seemed to breathe in the noodles. At first they were amazed, but it slowly turned to horror as he came to his tenth bowl.

After dinner Naruto told them he was going out to train nearby. Hiroshi gave him a, 'alright' look. Akane said she would also train, but in the opposite direction.

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Naruto came into a clearing, where the forest gave him enough room to practice.

'_Alright, I'm here. Now what?' _Naruto questioned the demon fox.

'_**Now we begin a new type of training. Once we're done, you will be a new Naruto altogether.'**_ The Kyuubi smirked sadistically behind the sealed cage in his mind. Whatever he had planned, it didn't sound humane.

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CrimsonCat101: yeah, I know it's a little long, but I wanted to get this out of the way. Next chapter will--

(Kyuubi jumps on author and puts a paw over the author's mouth)

Kyuubi: Don't you dare ruin this for me! It's a surprise so back off!

CrimsonCat101: okajshy, okdhay (okay, okay) XP


	3. The Sealing

CrimsonCat10101: Well I'm sorry this took so long to update, but I do have school soooo yeah. I am for now on answering reviews in my chapters.

Firareth6: Very good start, i hope yu do something original with naruto. also have him kill sasuke and sakura if she bitches. update soon!

CrimsonCat10101: Well don't worry I have something in mind, as for Sakura well I might not go that far.

Silvertv: this is pretty interesting, i've always liked the idea of everyone thinking someone's dead, when they're not. Do you plan on showing how everyone else deals with his "death?" P.S. didn't you write a couple of chapters of another fanfic, something about Naruto in a new team? You're messing with my head, please stop it... X)

CrimsonCat10101: Well I am planning to soon. I want you people **to suggest how you want them to react**, so that I can do something you will like, otherwise you will have to deal with whatever I give. I WOULD LOVE ANY IDEAS! So please suggest!

KoolinKenji: I like this story so far it's really good

CrimsonCat10101: Thanks!

Arbitrary Doom: ...i like it thus far...are there going to be pairings later on?...is this going to be yaoi?(i like it but if you don't forget i said anything)...as for weapons...i've always had an affinity for broadswords...particularly the ones with two diffrent peaces of metal interwoven...XP!

CrimsonCat10101: Pairings? Maybe… If there was, it would be NarXHin, as for others…possibly ShikaXTem, AsumaXKure, NejiXTen. Again I'm not sure, so you can suggest while I think about it. Yaoi, I'm sorry but that is something I will always be unable to do. THANK YOU FOR BEING THE ONLY ONE TO SUGGEST A WEAPON! YOU WILL BE HAPPY TO KNOW I USED YOUR IDEA AND INCORPORATED IT WITH MY EDITORS! Wait until you see the result (heh, heh) I HAVE MY WEAPON NOW! SO NO MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR THAT!

THE GOD OF INTRESTING: Interesting

CrimsonCat10101: I have seen you before!

Hiro Uzumaki: thats was um short

CrimsonCat10101: Well yeah… Chapter 1 was more of an intro if anything.

Hiro Uzumaki: i think she likes him

CrimsonCat10101: Who Akane? Well, I will never do a main charaXOC, so rest easy people. If she were to like it would be more of a big sister, annoying brother relationship if anything.

CrimsonCat10101: Whew! That was long, or at least it took a long time. All right! Now onto the long awaited chapter.

**I THANK MY EDITOR HIKARI YUME!** Author of: Dealing with the Mage (Tsubasa Chronicles)

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto I don't own Naruto (no duh)

Death Brings New Life

-The Sealing-

Naruto dropped more of the orange leaves in the large pile. Lifting a hand, he brushed off the tiny droplets of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

'_Why the hell did I have to gather so freaking many?' _Naruto complained.

'_**Why? Is it that difficult?' **_Kyuubi innocently said.

'_You know DAMN well what I'm talking about! These leaves were easy to spot, but only ONE AT A TIME! They were scattered across the whole DAMN forest, and I had to gather three HUNDRED of them!'_

'_**Now brat, if you're done ranting, I'd like to continue with the procedures.'**_ Kyuubi said smugly. Naruto crossed his arms defiantly and waited for the fox's explanation. _**'Now, these orange-copper leaves are native to this land, and is another reason I wanted to come here. These leaves are a part of a demon tree that resides in this very forest. The leaves grow only once every year.'**_

'_Demon tree? So what?' _Naruto said, rather annoyed.

'_**Listen and I'll tell you! You ungrateful brat! Exactly twenty-four hours after growing, the leaves fall off and are carried out in different directions by the wind.' **_

'_How come?'_

'_**I'm not sure actually; there are many legends about the forthcoming of the tree. Some say it was born from the spirit of an ancient demon. A demon foretold to be more ancient then myself. Others say it was the first plant to be created and is older then time itself. What I do know is its leaves have been used by demons for many generations. Demons use theses leaves for many things, but most notably rituals, summons, and other things in that area...'**_ Kyuubi paused. **_'Are you listening?' _**Naruto stared passively before nodding. His uncertainty showed that he probably was daydreaming. Kyuubi sighed; this should have been expected since he had the shortest attention span known to man when it came to lectures and speeches.

'_So why did I collect all these leaves?' _

'_**It is necessary for what we are about to perform.' **_Kyuubi smiled sadistically behind his cage.

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Tsunade leaned against her chair, rubbing her temples from the stressful thinking she had been doing. She pulled out the gallon sized sake bottle. She lifted it and began to down the alcohol. She set the sake bottle on the Hokage desk before continuing. "What do you think Jiraya? I described everything the anbu had observed in that split second near the border." Jiraya stepped out of the wall's shadow.

"Do you think Naruto's alive?" Jiraya said choking on the name of his prior disciple. The two sannins shared an uncomfortable silence before Tsunade whispered quietly.

"He's very dead Jiraya, I'm a medical ninja. I should know." She took another swig of her sake, her face turning red from all the alcohol she had consumed.

"The red powerful chakra. Doesn't that sound a little to close? On top of that, Kabuto took Naruto's body with him for God knows what!" Jiraya voice was now being raised. "That means, that the anbu got closer to him, when they got closer to Kabuto. Don't you see? It's the best explanation I can give you." The toad sannin was about to jump out the nearby window when a slammed hand on the desk stopped him, followed by the collapsing of a desk.

"He's DEAD! I checked his lifeless PULSE! DAMMIT! For crying out loud! I don't know even WHY I'm Hokage anymore!"

"Because, Naruto wanted you to be." Jiraya turned and left, knowing that Tsunade was too hard to reason with in her depressed and drunken state. Back at the office, Tsunade slumped back in her chair. Her eyes were hardened, as life seemed non-present. She brought her hands up to catch the tears that began to fall.

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"Is this right?" Naruto asked. His frustration was evident in his voice. He was using the liquid on the orange copper leaves to write seals on his 'kage bunshin'. Each leaf only had enough of the red liquid to smear two inches before it was useless. The 'bunshin' was shirtless and had seals on the arms, chest, and forehead. The clone was tied to a tree so that it wouldn't move. It was also gagged due to all the cussing it was doing earlier. The seals had circles and writing that was foreign to Naruto. He was still at work, on the stomach's seal.

'_**NO! For heavens sake, why can't you get this right?'**_ Kyuubi was just as aggravated as Naruto, possibly more. These demonic seals were a synch to him. He was even sending him the mental image of what it was supposed to look like. Why was this task so difficult for his container?

Oh! That's right! His container is a complete moron.

'_The seals on the stomach are WAY more complicated then the others.' _The blonde complained, wiping the mistake off…again. Kyuubi swore when this was over the brat was going to get a rude awakening for all he had put him through. Oh, how he could picture it now.

'_**It has to be more rounded like this.'**_ Kyuubi sent him another mental image of the seal. It was midnight now, and they still were at work. This seal was only supposed to take two hours and it has already been five! It was only supposed to take 150 leaves, at most. Naruto had just tossed leaf number 250. Why he had been put in this boy instead of any other? Could it be any worse!?!?!?!

Then he thought about the other possibilities…a gay, stuck up prick, a lazy bum, a shy stuttering girl, a garbage disposal, a bug vessel, a mutt, an arrogant fate believer, and two squealing Sasuke fan girls.

Nope. It could be a lot worse.

After another two long infuriating hours, the seal was complete.

Naruto untied the clone and took off the cloth he used to gag him. Once that was done, he put his right hand on the clone's stomach, emitting chakra through his palm as instructed by the bijuu. He delivered as much chakra as he could through his hand. The chakra ran across the lining of the seal, radiating many twisting pathways. The blue slowly turned to crimson red as his, own chakra depleted. Naruto winced as he withstood the intense pressure that began, forming a small crater around Naruto and his 'kage bunshin'. Once the chakra lit all the seals, he slowly released his hand. He felt weak instantly, as he staggered a short distance in order to lean against the large tree in close proximity.

The clone stood unmoving from it's standing position. The eyes opened instantly, revealing demonic blood ones. Two red-orange tails swayed behind the 'Naruto' figure. The nails were shaper, like claws. The whisker marked cheeks were more distinct. It was a perfect replica of the two-tailed form of Naruto, except the tails weren't just chakra, but had fur.

"**Fresh air never felt so good!"** The 'bunshin' stretched its limbs and looked at Naruto, who was barely standing now.

"That's what look like when I use your chakra…Damn! That's scary!" The blonde jinchuuriki couldn't move from his spot against the tree, he was to weary from the sealing.

"**You think this is scary? Do you own a mirror?"** Kyuubi sneered. The Kyuubi strode over to Naruto and cupped his chin. **"It seems that I will be free for only two weeks, until we have to do that sealing again. I only have two tails of my power the rest is in you. I still reside within you, but my mind will be in this clone for now. Now to get payback for making me wait that long for you to do a simple demonic seal."** Releasing his hand from Naruto's chin, Kyuubi pulled his arm back. As soon as it could be brought back no more, he shot it to Naruto's stomach, his hand in a closed fist. The blonde clenched his stomach as he coughed out some blood that had become present in his mouth. His knees buckled, and he fell forward. Unconscious. **"You better prepare yourself. This is nothing compared to what I have planned." **After stretching a bit, the fox walked away feeling refreshed.

'_**Boy does it feel good to vent my years of anger, I feel much better.' **_He cheerily left, leaving the blonde behind.

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Akane threw her last kunai at the target. The kunai went 10 meters, before sticking to the bulls-eye of the target. Breathing heavily she went to gather her kunai. Putting them in a scroll, she sealed them and put it in a pouch. She walked home, noticing that the chimney was smoking. At once she knew that Hiroshi had started a fire. It was about 2:00A.M. She went inside the small house to be greeted by her grandfather, Hiroshi.

"Ahhh, your back. Was your training okay?" Hiroshi smiled.

"Yeah, it was fine gramps." She said rudely, taking her shoes off near the door. "Alright I'm going to bed, and you should have been a while ago." She started to take off to her bedroom down the hall.

"You know, the kid hasn't come back yet." Akane stopped mid step and turned to face her grandfather.

"This late?" She questioned. Hiroshi nodded solemnly.

"That brat! I'll kill him! If he's not already dead that is!" Akane threw her ninja boots back on and dashed out to where Naruto said he was going to train. When she reached the area, Naruto was face down and unconscious. Akane rushed over to him.

"Why the hell do I always have to find you beat up and unconscious?" She began to swear as she dragged him back to the house, not caring as his head collided with a couple large rocks. "Damn runt!"

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Naruto began to stir as morning approached. "Uggghh, what the hell happened?" He sat up on the couch as he held his head. "What the hell happened to my head? I feel like I was dropped off a cliff and landed headfirst." He got up and went to the kitchen. 'It's probably the damn fox's fault.' He thought. 'I wonder where he went to?'

Hiroshi noticed he had entered and told him that breakfast was prepared. The table was set as he sat down. Hiroshi set the plate filled with baken, eggs, and toast in front of him. He thanked him and began to eat. Naruto asked where Akane was and he replied that she had to go shopping nearby.

"Why were you unconscious again?" Hiroshi questioned the Konoha ninja.

"Damn fox." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that? Speak up, these old ears can't pick up as much as they used to." The old man said pointing to his ear.

"I said I was training and I got carried away." Hiroshi accepted the answer and Naruto jumped off his chair to dash out the door.

"Where you going?"

"Training!" The blonde yelled, as he was heading towards his training area. It was the same spot. The area was forested, but held a big enough clearing to train.

"Alright, you DAMN fox! Where are you?" He yelled. He stood strong until he was tapped on the shoulder.

"**Right behind you."** Kyuubi grinned maliciously. Naruto jumped a bit, but turned to face the bijuu.

"What have you been doing?" Naruto questioned rudely, suspicious of what he may have done. Kyuubi walked over to a brown bag lying against a tree.

"**Shopping, of course."** He opened the pack.

"What shopping?" The jinchuuriki was curious now. Naruto then realized that Kyuubi had different apparel. The fox wore standard anbu armor, except it wasn't sleeveless, but was long sleeved. The demon fox pulled out black clothing. It consisted of black pants with many pockets and pouches to store things. A sleeveless black shirt along with a trench coat also accompanied the pants. The trench coat was navy blue with white edging. The back of the trench coat also had a white kanji for courage. Kyuubi threw the clothing towards Naruto.

"**Put this on."**

"Why?" Naruto questioned.

"**Because brat, your clothes are dirty, torn-up, and disgusting."** Kyuubi lied, that wasn't even half of his reasons. Naruto finally obliged and got dressed into the new clothing. Still leaving the necklace that Tsunade gave him around his neck. He made sure to pull out the Konoha Hitai-ate from his pocket and put it in his new pant's pocket. Once he was done, he tossed his orange jumpsuit to the side. Kyuubi sneakily grabbed the clothing.

"Hey! What are you doing with that?" Naruto said pointing at the orange clothing in Kyuubi's hand.

"**Oh this?"** With that said, he burned the clothing into ashes in his hand, using a fire jutsu. **"It's trash." **Naruto started to cry waterfalls.

"Why the hell did you do that?" The blonde whined.

"**It was orange and a freaking jumpsuit! Why wouldn't I do it?"** Kyuubi growled. He was sick of that THING. **"Moving on, we will initiate the training. Now your chakra control is pitiful to say the least, and its what you're going to need in the future so, we will train that with…"** Kyuubi grabbed a tree branch and snapped it. The branch was thin and had about a dozen small leaves. **"This."** Naruto stared at the demon then at the branch then went back in forth in confusion.

"What the hell?" Naruto said in confusion.

"**You will channel your chakra through the branch and try to make the leaves fall off."** Kyuubi explained then tossed the branch at him. Naruto caught the branch as Kyuubi was speaking. **"Now this is only part of your training. You will do this from morning to noon. From 12:30P.M. to 3:00P.M. we will work on that nutshell you call a brain."**

"HEY!"

"**Don't deny the truth. Now from 3:30P.M. to 6:00P.M. we will practice taijutsu."** When the fox said that his eyes gleamed murderously. **"Then 6:30P.M. to late we will work on ninjutsu. Is this clear?"** Naruto nodded vigorously. **"Good! Now lets get to work."**


	4. Branches of Wisdom

CrimsonCat10101: Heh...heh sorry it toke so long. Um, I missed three days of school and got bombarded with homework. I'm caught up now, but Finals are around the corner ugh! As for reviews I will now be posting them in my profile, so look there. Personally I like my other story better, oh well, check it out when you can. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

Death Brings New Life

-Branches of Wisdom-

Tsunade paced her office back and forth. Her steps echoed against the wood on the floor. She had been waiting for this moment, but was she prepared? She didn't want to face this; it had been haunting her in her sleep. It had been two days since Naruto died and she still hadn't told anyone the news except Kakashi, Shizune, and Jiraiya.

As she was thinking, Kotetsu opened the door. "Tsunade-sama, they're here." She nodded and he left, leaving the door open as a hand grabbed the handle and walked in the room. Sakura came in, along with the rest of the rookie nine. (Excluding Naruto and Sasuke) Gai's team also filed in behind them, which only consisted of Lee and Tenten, since Neji was still in critical condition. Choji was also in critical condition and unable to attend. Him and Neji were heavily wounded on the mission to retrieve Sasuke.

Tsunade watched as they walked in, confusion present on their faces. Tsunade wanted to retreat immediately, but she held her ground firmly.

She had to tell them.

Sakura was the first to speak. "Tsunade-sama, what's all this about?" They all watched as Tsunade closed her eyes in silent contemplation.

She began, her voice strong as she could force. "As you all know, a team was sent out to retrieve Sasuke." They nodded, wondering why she was repeating the information. They already knew the mission had failed. "One by one the team was split up, so that Naruto could reach Sasuke. They fought as Naruto attempted to bring him back to us."

"Tsunade-sama, we already know that he betrayed us. Why are you telling us again?" Sakura questioned, uncomfortable about talking of the tale.

Tsunade shook her head solemnly as she continued. "There is more then you were told." The group became curious, as to what she was getting at.

Tsunade looked at the group with sorrow. "Sasuke and Naruto fought at the Valley at the End, but what you don't know is that…" Tsunade's voice began to crack when she said the last four words. "Naruto died in that fight."

The group tensed in shock. Hinata began to shake violently, her eyes wide and filled with tears from the dreadful news that had been cast upon her. Kiba looked away in sadness. Shikamaru had one hand covering his face. Ino's face was frozen in shock, while Shino's gaze was locked on the floor. Lee also lowered his gaze to the floor, but then brought his gaze on Sakura. Sakura's tears were falling against her hands held against her face, as she sobbed for her fallen comrade. Tenten put a hand on Sakura's shoulder in order to comfort her.

"He c-can't be d-dead." Everyone turned their gaze onto the one who spoke. Hinata continued to speak anyway. "H-He's not d-dead." She sobbed.

Tsunade looked at the small Hyuga with pity. She knew that the girl had a crush on Naruto.

Tsunade closed her eyes briefly only to reopen them, replacing her depressive eyes with the calculating eyes of a leader. "His body was taken about a day and a half ago, by none other then Kabuto. I have no idea what that snake's intention is, but it can't be anything good."

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"DAMMIT!!!" Naruto continued to stare daggers at the branch that lay in his hands. He had been trying to break off the leaves from the branch for the past hour. "This is so frustrating!" He cried out again, the strain on the branch increasing dramatically.

It was just an hour before that Kyuubi gave him a one sentence explanation and left him to the task. Why the hell did the Kyuubi leave him? He had been channeling his chakra into the branch with no reaction whatsoever for ten minutes. The rest of the time he had been cracking and snapping the wood in random places.

Naruto sat down to continue the exercise, focusing on the branch and releasing his chakra in steady amounts. He relaxed, letting the chakra flow through his hand and into the wood. Focusing on the leaves, he released his chakra.

'SNAP' 

"DAMN IT ALL!!!" Naruto screamed, making several animals flee from the surrounding vicinity. The branch had broken halfway, splitting the branch in half.

Tossing the wood in the growing pile of broken branches, he began to think.

'_I wonder how everyone is faring without me.' _He slowly became depressed in the perpetual silence. _'The villagers are probably throwing a festival in celebration of the __demon brat's__ death. Tsunade's probably in pieces knowing that she already lost Dan and Nawaki. Ero-sennin is probably also upset. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan will probably mourn about my death for two days, and then focus on retrieving their precious Uchiha._

The blonde's expression turned darker as he processed his thoughts. _'He…he killed me when I said he was like family to me…could I possibly bring him back?…No…No, I will not bring him back! He is NOT Sasuke! The Sasuke I know is long past dead.'_

The blonde continued to contemplate, while someone observed him from within the shadows.

He broke another small branch off, only to continue his previous attempts. After snapping yet another branch a voice spoke.

"So this is what you do over here eh." The tall black haired girl sat down next to him. Naruto stopped what he was doing, noticing her sudden appearance. Her ruby-red eyes were looking off to the sky. "What exactly are you trying to do?" Akane questioned him.

Holding up a newly acquired branch, his gaze set on the said object. "I'm trying to improve my chakra control by making these leaves from this branch snap off using my chakra and holding the branch by it's base." Naruto sent chakra through the branch, while concentrating on making the chakra release at the stems of each leaf. Akane watched as she felt the chakra he released flow through the branch until…

'SNAP'

"As you can see, I can only brake parts of the branch." The blonde said sadly, before tossing the split branch into the large pile of wood he had created.

"I see," Akane chuckled.

"Its not funny!" The blonde huffed. "Just frustrating." He grumbled.

"Well, you've destroyed a reasonable amount of forest attempting this, I can't help it if you suck at it." Akane said smugly. Naruto growled at the comment.

"I don't suck!"

"Your right…you're just mentally challenged." Akane grinned as she watched Naruto gain a red tick mark. He continued to snap the branches, while Akane watched him with amusement.

"Hey, how old are you?" Akane watched as he tossed yet another branch before replying.

"Twelve."

"Twelve…that's pretty young to be by yourself in enemy territory, doesn't your family worry that you're missing?" Naruto's eyes became unfocused as he looked up. His back lay against the thick trunk of a larger tree.

"I'm an orphan. I don't have family." The blonde grabbed another branch and began to channel chakra again. Akane's head lowered as she realized her mistake.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, her eyes enveloped by a shadow. Turning his head to face her, he smiled. Not an honest smile, but one that was part of the mask he had been upholding for years. The mask was there to cover and hide his true emotions. To others he would be a happy grinning prankster, but under the mask he was sad, depressed, angry, lonely, and an uncontrollable feeling of betrayal. No one could ever see past the happy mask. He deceived others through the joyous mask with ease. The ease of it had come from years of unforgotten practice.

"Awww, don't be, it's fine!" When he said that, the branch that he was holding snapped in several places. Naruto and Akane stared at the splinters now present in Naruto's hands.

"Whoops! My bad." The blonde rubbed the back of his neck with one hand in embarrassment. Tossing the splinters into the woodpile. He slowly pulled out the small pieces of wood lodged into his hands.

It was then that he noticed the red eyes that glowed in the shadows of the woods.

'I better close this up.' Naruto thought.

"Hey, Naruto." Akane began, bringing Naruto back from his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Where did you get your clothes from?" Akane said pointing at the navy blue trench coat and black apparel. Naruto thought for a second, trying to come up with a good explanation.

"Well I sealed spare clothes in a scroll before I left." He said, trying to sound casual. Akane seemed satisfied with his response. Naruto restrained himself from sighing in relief. He remembered the red eyes and popped a question to Akane. "Hey Akane, how old are you?" He said innocently.

"Seventeen, why do you ask?"

"Seventeen? I thought you were somewhere in your mid-twenties."

That did it.

'THWACK'

"Owwwww…You didn't have to hit me that hard." The blonde groaned, rubbing the sore spot that was now atop his head.

"You deserve it! You stupid runt!" Akane shouted, storming off towards the house. A red vein appeared on her forehead and her hands were closed in tight fists.

Naruto continued to rub the sore spot on his head. '_Damn. She hits just like Sakura-chan.' _The pink-haired kunoichi, Sakura, his former teammate used to do the same thing. She would punch him hard on top of his head and send him rocketing towards the Earth. She then calling him a moron, idiot, or loser afterwards. She never was nice to him, yet he was nice to her. The only time she was nice, was when she was around her precious Sasuke-_kun. _It was always Sasuke-kun 'this' or Sasuke-kun 'that' she never cared about Naruto. Cutting off perhaps one of his more painful memories, he got to his feet.

When he looked up, Kyuubi was striding towards him. It was an hour until noon, which didn't give him much more time. The fox demon stopped right in front of the blonde Jinnchuuriki. His arms were crossed and he wore a smirk that screamed insanity.

"**Alright brat, demonstrate to me how far you have gotten with this exercise."**

Naruto slowly stood up, patting the excess dirt off. Walking over to a new tree he snapped off another thin branch. Kyuubi watched as he stood in front of him, with the branch in one hand.

When Naruto channeled chakra into the said object it then broke in a couple places. Naruto looked at his results before tossing the branch aside.

"**That was…pathetic."** Kyuubi snickered.

"Shut up! You bastard—" Before he could finish his insult his chin hit the ground with unsuspecting force and his arm was painfully held behind his back. The demon fox sat on top of his back, a scowl placed firmly on his face. He held the blondes right arm with ease, yet with enough force that made Naruto wince.

"**Watch your mouth brat! You should respect me, for I am the King of Demons. Especially, since I saved your sorry ass from death! You ungrateful boy!"** The fox pulled Naruto's right arm farther to the left side of his body.

"Save me? You only meant to save yourself!" Naruto said, struggling to break free. Unfortunately he wasn't strong enough. The fox was a Bijuu, the nine-tailed Bijuu as a matter of fact. He never stood a chance.

"**So what? I still saved you. Now show me respect, unless you prefer your arm being snapped in two."** The Bijuu said a sickly grin cast on his face. Naruto felt his arm close to being broken, so he did the only thing he could do.

"Hai, Kyuubi…-sensei." Naruto's arm was released and the weight on his back decreased. He slowly got back on his feet, stretching his arm to get the feel back into it. Kyuubi stood with a smirk plastered on his face.

"**That will have to do. Now, I guess I should give you a few pointers to speed up the training process. So listen carefully, because I'm not the type that likes to repeat myself." **Naruto nodded dumbly, not trusting his mouth to speak for him. **"Good. Now when you channel your chakra into the branch you want to adjust the amount as it's being channeled. In the beginning you burst the chakra to get it started. Right after that, you want to decrease it immediately so that you don't snap the branch." **Naruto nodded in understanding.** "Once it is decreased, concentrate so that it stays at the decreased amount until your chakra has reached the leaf." **Naruto started to show some signs of confusion, but stopped after a moment of thought. He nodded to Kyuubi to carry on.** "Now, you would hold your chakra there until your chakra has reached all the leaves. Then, send a burst of chakra to snap them off." **He finished. He looked at Naruto to see some mixed feelings of puzzlement and understanding.

"**Alright, I'll leave you to ponder that." **Kyuubi walked past him towards the other direction. **"I'm going to set up the next part of your training. You have another half hour to work on those leaves. After that, take a half hour break and meet me at the clearing just west of here at 12:30P.M."**

After Kyuubi left, Naruto continued with his training to see slightly better results. The places where he cracked it were now closer to the leaves. After the time was up, he trudged out of the woods to grab a bite to eat. He was exhausted from all the chakra he had put out and a half-hour break would be perfect to rejuvenate his chakra reserves.

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After he had eaten some ramen, courtesy of Hiroshi, he strolled towards the clearing Kyuubi had specified. He walked on through the forested area, passing by many broken trees. He chuckled, hoping that the forest destruction would go unnoticed by other Oto ninjas. When he had reached the space he could feel his jaw drop.

There in the clearing lay hundreds and hundreds of books and scrolls.

Kyuubi noticed his presence and put down the scroll that he had been reading. **"Alright lets get started. C'mon brat."** Naruto walked towards Kyuubi in an awestruck daze.

"This is a LOT of BOOKS! Where did you get all these?" Naruto spoke, his gaze still locked on the many books. Kyuubi chuckled at Naruto's priceless look of amazement.

"**I checked them out from the demon library. I simply make a seal that summons the library for our personal usage. Only one can have the library checked out, but since this library is limited to greater demons only, meaning the eight-tailed Bijuu and I, we should have access to it whenever we please. Unless for some reason the eight-tailed Bijuu has it checked out, but I highly doubt that." **

"Wow! There's a demon library?" Naruto asked gleefully, but stopped dead in his tracks. Kyuubi cocked an eyebrow at the sudden change in atmosphere. Naruto's face became one of sheer horror.

"Does that mean I have to read all of these?" Naruto questioned, his voice no louder then a whisper.

Naruto saw Kyuubi's instant smirk and shuddered. God, did he hate lectures and speeches, but THIS? That was just plain pushing it.

* * *

CrimsonCat10101: Alright, that's over. I will never talk about the branches so much ever again, but it is important for later I will explain myself...later. Anyway I LOVE REVIEWS! tee hee. 


	5. Remembrance

CrimsonCat101: Well sorry for such a long wait. Heh heh Well, my other story is getting most of my attention at the moment so yeah…

Disclaimer: I don not own Naruto, unfortunately Masashi Kishimoto does.

Death Brings New Life

-Remembrance-

Naruto's head hurt, to say the least. Mental strain was making him dizzy as he sat on the soft grass in attempt to sort out his thoughts. Kyuubi decided to test out a new training routine on Naruto, dealing with 'kage bunshins'. The training method consisted of him creating five-hundred clones, and each studying individually on different books or scrolls. Each clone is then dispelled and the life span memory of every clone is transferred to his mind. This then allowed him to do about a year of studying in a matter of minutes. The side effect of it though, didn't set him in the best of moods.

It gave him a massive migraine from hell. Sadly though, it was not enough to knock him out, so now he had to endure the pain.

He cursed under his breath as he stood up and walked back to Akane's house. He had a half-hour break, before he had to return for taijutsu practice. During that break he was given, he intended to grab a bite to eat and maybe confront Akane about a question that has been nagging him for a while.

He walked inside the house, carefully closing the door behind him. He took his blue shinobi sandals off by the door, before walking over to the kitchen.

Hiroshi was boiling water to make tea when Naruto walked in the room. Hiroshi noticed the blonde's presence, "Ah, Naruto-san, may I help you with something?" he asked without turning around to face him.

"Yeah actually, do you know where Akane-san is?" Naruto replied, while grabbing an apple from the fridge.

Hiroshi poured the boiling water in a cup before answering Naruto. "Hai, I believe she is training in the woods again."

"I see…thank you." Naruto walked out of the house and into the side of the woods that was on the opposite end of where he trained. He quickly finished his snack, and tossed the apple's core into a bush. He continued on until he saw a familiar form, sitting on the cool grass in the middle of a clearing. By the way her eyes flicked over to his spot, it was safe to say that she knew he was there.

Naruto cautiously approached her, and greeted her in a friendly manner, "Hey Akane-san!"

Akane glared at him, "What do you want runt?"

Naruto dropped the grin on his face and settled for a small smile, "I wanted to ask you about something."

Akane huffed frustratingly before replying, "Alright, but you better make it quick. I was just taking a short break before I return to my training."

Naruto nodded, "I understand. What I wanted to know is why you let me, a Konoha ninja, into your home when you are an Oto nin. Further more, why did you ask if I was an Oto nin?"

Akane furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, before heavily sighing. "The same question eh? Like I said before, I do not mind Konoha nins, they are not my enemy. As for your other question…" Akane silently contemplated before continuing, "To put it simply, a civil war is breaking out in this country."

Naruto's eyes widened a small margin, "A civil war?"

Akane nodded sadly, "Hai, you see Orochimaru, one of the legendary sannin, has been taking control of Ta no Kuni (Land of Rice Fields). He assassinated our jounin-riido (lead jounin), and now claims this land as his own. This village is just used as a resource for his inhumane experiments. He takes people without warning, choice, or…mercy. His victims are tortured then killed, numbers ranging within the thousands. Two of his victims happened to be my parents…"

Naruto stared at her with widened eyes, and then shrunk to ones of pity. Akane saw his eyes full of pity towards her, and quickly became angry. "Do not give me your pity!" She growled, startling Naruto out of his thoughts. Akane realized her misplaced anger and relaxed visibly, "Gomen," she apologized.

She sighed heavily, looking at Naruto, then at the ground. She drifted her hand over the grass, allowing it to brush against her skin. She continued to gently caress her skin against the grass as she spoke, "My parents…were taken from me when I was only seven years old. I remember them faintly, as time does that to most memories. I remember the day the they were taken, very clearly, though…how could I forget…"

_Flashback_

"_Hey dad, can you teach me how to throw those metal star-shape thingies?"_

_Yoshirou watched as his daughter pointed to the pouch on his left leg. "You mean shuriken?" he asked, to which his daughter nodded eagerly. "Um, only if it's okay with mom, I really don't want her to berate me about your safety today."_

_Akane pouted, but complied out of understanding, "Alright, I'll go talk to Mom."_

_Yoshirou watched as his small daughter dashed back towards the house, and smiled warmly at the sight. After he saw her disappear out of view he focused back at the training dummy, stationed in the center of the field._

_Akane ran down the streets of the village, until her house came into view. She was about to continue running home until an unfamiliar sight greeted her._

_Just outside of her house two men had walked up to her mother and had said something that had struck fear in her mother. "You and your husband have been chosen to become a part of Orochimaru-sama's experiments." Her mom attempted to flee, but it was all in vain. The men had a smug expression on their face as they hassled her. Her mother's hair was held by one of the men, as he whispered dangerously into her ear._

_Akane couldn't take anymore and was prepared to charge. She noticed their apparel and backed down. The two men appeared to be village jounin, she knew she didn't stand a fighting chance. Akane watched as the man threw her mother against the side of her house in horror. Akane decided then to get her father, perhaps he could help._

_She raced back to the training field, her breathing labored by exhaustion. Her father looked at her curiously, as she approached._

"_Honey, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned by his daughter's behavior._

_Akane's breathing evened out when she began to breakdown and cry, "Dad, mommy's being hurt by two men!"_

_Yoshirou's face became twisted in distress, as he thought over the situation. He quickly kneeled down to his daughter's level, and put both of his hands on her shoulders firmly. _

"_Whatever happens Akane, I want you to stay here." Yoshirou whispered, his daughter's safety a top priority._

_Akane became worried, "But dad-"_

"_No!" He cut her off sharply. "I'm going to help Izumi-chan so don't worry. Just promise me you will stay here."_

_Akane's look became defeated as she muttered, "I promise dad…I promise…"_

_With that said, her father smiled warmly as he dashed off towards the house._

_End Flashback_

"…after that I went back to the house after an hour had passed, and they were both gone. My grandfather took me in after the incident, and brought me here to live with him, away from the village. Now I have become a part of the resistance, were we fight against that _snake's _oppression." Akane finished, spitting out the last few words as if there was bile in her throat.

"Great, the damn bastard makes me want to rip out his organs and burn them even more then before!" Naruto growled angrily, clenching his fists at his side.

Akane looked at his confusingly, "Did he do anything to you?"

Naruto's expression rapidly changed from anger to sorrowful. "The bastard killed a man I looked at as a grandfather…and stole the one I thought of as a brother." Naruto became angry once more, "One thing is for sure however…when I kill him, I will make him scream in agony as he tries to whisper mercy in my ear."

Akane smirked, "Well, that's one thing we have in common runt."

Naruto's vein pulsed angrily upon his forehead. "Could you stop calling me runt?"

Akane's smirk became smug, "I'll stop once you're no longer a chibi."

Naruto's vein became larger as his face became red in anger and embarrassment. "Why I-" He stopped mid-sentence, and his face became one of worry.

"Shit, " He muttered, "Uh, gomen Akane-san I'm late for something. It was nice talking to yah." Naruto said, before dashing quickly out of the training field.

"That was…odd."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

It has been a day since Naruto's death was announced to the village. Ichiraku was having plenty of business on this day, with the arrival of many friends of it's number one customer. A large group composed of the rookie nine and Team Gai (minus Neji and Chouji), were gathered at their deceased friend's favorite spot in Konoha, in honor of his memory. For it appears that when the council heard of the young Uzumaki's demise, that they would not allow him a proper funeral. Tsunade was clearly against it, because she jumped and strangled one of the head council members. The member was to be hospitalized for a month, with Tsunade refusing to heal him.

They were gathered at Ichiraku, each ordered ramen, even Ino who had refused to before saying her diet prohibited such trash. Shikamaru turned towards the group, silencing them by simply raising his hand.

"I speak for all of us, when I say that Naruto was a good friend, and didn't deserve to die such a tragic death. Naruto was the type of person that motivated us to push ourselves farther then ever before, wiping away all fear of failure, sometimes unknowingly…His death may not be honored righteously by the village, but we will as his friends."

Surprisingly, Hinata was the next one to speak. "N-Naruto-kun helped me find a strength I thought I had never possessed…H-He brought me courage…and a-always will…even in death..." Hinata's tears were flowing freely, and she made no action to hide them whatsoever.

Hinata looked over at Sakura, expecting her to say something, due to the fact he was her teammate. Sakura noticed Hinata's look, and decided to add in.

"Naruto, although an idiot at times, had promised me to bring me back Sasuke-kun. He made me happy, giving up his own happiness for the sake of mine. When I found out that Sasuke-kun was the one to kill Naruto, it wretched my heart to find that he had fallen farther into the darkness then I had thought. Now, I have to get him back myself, without Naruto's help. I regret making him take that promise." She finished, her gaze locked on the ground. She looked up when massive killer intent had hit her like a bucket of bricks however.

Kiba growled at her, along with Akamaru perched on his head. "What the hell is wrong with you, that bastard deserves to die!"

Even Sakura's best friend, Ino, looked at her in disbelief, "Sakura, how could you want that bastard back after what he has done?"

Sakura didn't know what to say, everyone seemed to have given up on bringing Sasuke back, even Ino, a former Sasuke-fan-girl.

"Did you even care about Naruto-kun!" Everyone looked towards the one who had shouted. Hinata looked at her in anger, tears still adorning her once gentle face. "Naruto-kun always cared about _you_! I have yet to see a time when you cared for him! Even when he was HURT you would still focus on your beloved traitor Sasuke. He could have a gapping wound on him, but you would probably fret all about a scratch on Sasuke-teme. Naruto would go to life's end just for _you_. Even when he is dead, all your mind revolves around is that teme. How could you even call yourself a friend of his?"

To say everyone was shocked by Hinata's outburst, was like saying Jiraiya was a little bit perverted. In other words…a very large understatement.

Sakura was stunned.

Here was the once shy, timid, and modest girl, telling her how badly she had screwed up. She couldn't stop her tears from falling at a rapid rate. Before anyone could say anything else, she turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She heard them shouting at her, but what she needed, was some time to think.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Orochimaru was pissed.

He was ready to take the young Uchiha's body, but now he would have to wait…years.

He was torturing his experiments to relieve his anger. As he heard his victims scream in pain, he couldn't help the wicked grin from forming on his face. The pain of others always seemed to please him. He no longer cared to wait for his new body. He would have Sasuke's eyes eventually.

Sasuke was busy in his room that Orochimaru had given him. He sat within its dark depths, thinking over the blonde's death.

'_Naruto, I have to thank you in the afterlife for giving me the tool that will kill my brother.'_

With that thought, Sasuke channeled chakra to his eyes. He opened them revealing the gift that Naruto had bestowed upon him.

The Mangekyou Sharingan.

* * *

CrimsonCat101: Now Review!! 


	6. Training with a Demon

CrimsonCat101: Sorry for the Delay, but remember I do have THREE Stories, so yeah…

CrimsonCat101: Alright, a lot of people asked me why Sasuke has the Mangekyou Sharingan when Naruto is still alive. Simply Sasuke gained the Mangekyuo Sharingan after killing Naruto, and wouldn't just lose it when Naruto is revived. So in other words Naruto was granted two lives, and Sasuke only needed to rid of one, get it?

CrimsonCat101: For Pairings, I said this was going to be NaruxHina, but I'm starting to think that maybe pairing Naruto with Akane would be more interesting.

**So I'm doing a vote**

**NaruxHina (I kind of feel that will be more unoriginal if I do this, but if you really want it...)**

**NaruxAkane (Keep her age at 17)**

**NaruxAkane (Change her age to 14)**

**NaruxTayuya (This would make the fic rated M, but it would be fun to…)**

So vote!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does however…

Death Brings New Life

-Training with a Demon-

(September 12th; 3:40PM; Tuesday)

Naruto placed his hands on his knees in exhaustion, breathing heavily for a few spare moments. After recomposing himself, he observed his surroundings.

"Hey Fur-I mean Kyuubi-sensei!" Naruto corrected himself, not forgetting what happened the last time he had disrespected the _mighty _Kyuubi.

Silence was the only sound that greeted the blond shinobi. Deciding to look around a bit, he began to search the desolate area.

Only three seconds into the search, and Naruto had picked up a small rustle in the bushes behind him. With no time to react he was pinned to the ground forcibly, his chin grounded into the dirt.

"**Good afternoon Kit, I see that you are starting to learn how to mind your tongue." **Naruto growled in reply, but was silenced when Kyuubi tightened the grip on his wrists. **"Oh, before I forget…" **Kyuubi spoke casually, before growling angrily and squeezing Naruto's wrists even harder, causing Naruto to audibly wince in pain. **"Mind explaining to me why you are ten minutes late?"**

Naruto growled defiantly, "How was I supposed know I was late? It's not like I have a clock."

Kyuubi let go of Naruto's wrists, and rubbed his chin. **"True…" **he mused. The Kyuubified-Naruto clone then grew a sinister smile. **"Well then, I guess there is no time to waste. Taijutsu practice begins now!" **Kyuubi announced, before jumping backwards off of Naruto. Naruto got back on his feet, and watched Kyuubi warily.

Kyuubi still retained the sinister smile on his face. **"I'll give you a ten second head start."**

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean by a ten second head start?"

Kyuubi smirked, **"Just what I said. And I would get moving because five seconds has already passed."**

Naruto knew by the smirk on Kyuubi's face that he should start running as fast as he could. Because the Fox's sadistic expression told Naruto all there was to know…

Run like hell.

Kyyubi gave an animalistic grin, as he watched Naruto's face become one of slight worry. Naruto then took off hastily, with a speed he did not know he had possessed. Kyuubi could only suppress some of his instinctive instincts.

For the chase had now begun.

* * *

(September 12th; 4:37PM; Tuesday)

Naruto breaths were rushed in an erratic manner, and his heart rate quickened to a pace that insisted upon heavy apprehension. He leaned back against a tree, as he stood from one of its tall branches. He concealed himself to the best of his ability as he tried to peer from the side.

He had been doing this little exercise for the past forty minutes, and he had the injuries to prove it. Well, used to anyway. He had his face clawed deeply just thirty-five minutes ago, but that had healed completely. His arm had been broken quite terribly just ten minutes ago, because it has been twisted to an inhuman degree, but that had healed almost completely as well when he had popped it back into place. He also had a large bloody claw-marked gash from his right shoulder to his left hip. That wound was currently healing at a rapid pace, but it was healing slower then his previous injuries.

Naruto observed the surroundings warily, before deeming the coast clear and stepping out of his hiding spot. He knew it was a mistake when he felt the flesh on his left shoulder being torn off by sharp claws. He gasped in pain before speeding off once more, going past the limits of his insane stamina. To say he felt exhausted was like saying that Kyuubi was only slightly sadistic, a massive understatement.

The Kyuubi was hot on his trail, a malevolent grin spread across his face. **"Come on boy you better keep running, or else I'll tear you to shreds."**

Naruto kept jumping speedily from branch to branch, while questioning the Fox on the thought that had been plaguing his mind throughout the entire practice. "Dammit! What does this have to do with Taijutsu?"

Kyuubi answered while closing the distance between him and the small blonde. **"Taijutsu requires speed and stamina, you have plenty of stamina thanks to me, but your speed compares to an academy student. That is why we are doing this."**

When Kyuubi finished speaking he had caught up to Naruto. Kyuubi launched himself at Naruto's turned back, making them both crash to the ground, Kyuubi on top of Naruto. Naruto felt the air leave his lungs, and his head becoming fuzzy with exhaustion. Before he knew it, he had fallen unconscious.

Kyuubi got off of the blonde and shook his head disappointingly, **"I expected more, but I guess that may change in time." **Naruto had only lasted for about an hour, during the "speed" training. Kyuubi hadn't thought he would last the entire two hours and a half hour's, but he had expected slightly more from his container, then again, he was dealing with Naruto…

* * *

(September 12th; 5:22PM; Tuesday)

Naruto blinked repeatedly as his eyes adjusted to the light that shined through the treetops. He sat up and rubbed his eyes slightly before looking around.

Kyyubi saw that Naruto was awake and walked over to him. Kyuubi strode up to the dazed Naruto and grinned toothily.

"**Heh, finally up. Took your sweet time didn't you?" **

Naruto looked at the kage bushin in obvious confusion, before his past memories assaulted him and he growled angrily. "You!"

Kyuubi sneered, **"Yes me. Who'd you think it was?** **You?" **Naruto glared at Kyuubi, mustering up as much killing intent as he could. Kyuubi brushed off Naruto's glare as though it were a glare from a five-year old. **"Heh, well Taijutsu is done for the day. So spend your time however you want until 6:30, when your Ninjutsu training takes place." **

"Taijutsu? How can you call that Taijutsu training?" Naruto questioned angrily.

Kyuubi snickered, **"Heh, I see you dislike my methods-"**

"Yah Think?!?"

Kyuubi sneered at the blonde, **"Don't interrupt!" **Naruto complied and wisely shut his mouth. **"As I was saying this time is dedicated to Taijutsu, or preparing for it. If you want, you can call it speed training for now, if it makes you **_**feel **_**any better."** Kyuubi snorted in a mocking tone.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in reply, wondering why the fox was so…so…irritating! The damn fox made him want to rip out his own blond hair 24/7!

Kyuubi left with a smirk, disappearing into the surrounding forest's dark depths. Naruto stomped off in the other direction, when a sudden thought stuck him.

'_What does Kyuubi do when he isn't training me anyway?'_ Naruto pondered this as he walked back to the Hiroshi's house. _'Heh, I bet he is just chasing rabbits or something…'

* * *

_

(September 12th; 5:34PM; Tuesday; Konohagakure)

Sakura ran past her parents and slammed her bedroom door shut with a loud bang. Launching herself atop her bed, she buried her face deep within her pillow. Her sobs wrecked her body as she quivered with uncontrolled emotion.

She couldn't believe everyone had berated her like that. Ino and Hinata were the most surprising of all though. They scolded her for wanting Sasuke back. What was wrong with that she just had to wonder. Was it so wrong to want her Sasuke-kun back?

Or maybe it was because even though it was the time to grieve for their recent fallen comrade, her thoughts still revolved around the Uchiha?

Then she wondered if it was because she called Naruto's killer Sasuke-_kun_.

She was so utterly confused and lost that she screamed into her pillow loudly. Her screams eventually died down and her crying slowly became silent, starting to become too tired to continue her loud sobbing.

She laid there as past memories of a happy Team 7 assaulted her, depressing her even further. That's when she finally accepted that Naruto was dead. Naruto was dead forever more, damned to never return to the world of the living. Sakura thought about the ninja, and all she could picture was the blonde with that goofy grin of his slapped on his face. Happiness. That is what he brought Team 7. He was the one to bring fun, happiness, hope, and determination to the team. Hope. That was something she lost with his death. She had to wonder, did his presence really affect her so much?

When she was upset, she would bop him on the head, and he…would…let her…Sakura frowned unknowingly as her thoughts continued. When Naruto had asked her on dates, she couldn't help but feel more confident in her appearance because of the fact he constantly asked her. Did he even like her, or was he just trying to be a good friend and help her out of her misery. Either the blonde was really selfless, or she was reading too much into his actions.

She probably could have summed up Naruto in two words before, stupid and annoying, but now she realized how wrong she was. He was the one who created a plan to free Kakashi-sensei in Wave. He was the one to defeat Haku. He was the one who defeated Neji and Garra during the Chunin exams. He was the one who saved her from the sand that threatened to end her life. And yet he was the one she ignored so blindly, each event he had accomplished she immediately thought it to be Sasuke. She ignored him, regardless of the orange jumpsuit he wore, and when she did notice him, he became her personal punching bag.

She punched her pillow in frustration, realizing that Naruto deserved more credit then she gave him. But now it was too late to redeem herself. He was dead; gone forever more.

Her thoughts then went to Sasuke, the one responsible for Naruto's death. The raven-haired boy was always stoic and detached from the team. He was an enigma with a tragic background. His looks and background is what gained him all the attention he ever wanted. Everything he was offered he took, and still wished for more, even turning traitor for his own selfish gains. What had caused him to change so much? Was it the curse mark he received from Orochimaru in the Forest of Death? Or was it Sasuke's encounter with his brother Uchiha Itachi? Sakura didn't know which, but she knew that both events had caused Sasuke's already unstable mind to worsen.

She felt that he did have a right to brood and want revenge for his slain clan. She pictured herself in his position, watching her whole family die before her own eyes, killed by one of her own family members. She shuddered, but then she forgot the fact that Itachi had the Mangekyou Sharingan, so when she added that factor she realized that Sasuke had it pretty tough.

However, she felt that this did not justify his actions. Especially for killing Naruto… She didn't know why revenge was so important to Sasuke. She understood his _want _for revenge, but not his _need _for revenge. If Sasuke killed his brother, what would he do? He couldn't simply come back to Konoha. Did Sasuke even realize this? Would he even be _happy _when he killed his brother?

The more she thought about the Uchiha's actions the more confused she got, she saw no logic in his actions whatsoever.

Come to think about it, did she even still hold feelings for the Uchiha? He was good-looking, and his attitude made him all the more desirable, but was that what love was? Was Sasuke just simply a crush? If it was love, why did she love him? When she tried to find her reasons to love him she drew a blank.

Sakura looked at the ceiling with a void stare, _'Was my life simply wasted on chasing a crush? Was that crush even real from the fist place? No. He was, but he's not the guy I had a crush on anymore. But the question is…what do I do now? I no longer have a goal, or dream to pursue.'_

She lay there emotionlessly, watching the room slowly become dark with the passing time.

'_What is my life's purpose?'

* * *

_

(September 12th; 5:34PM; Tuesday; Ta no Kuni)

Naruto arrived back at Hiroshi's house, pleased to smell that dinner was cooking. He walked into the kitchen with a grin and sat at the table, Akane soon entered afterward.

Akane greeted Naruto with a smirk, "Hey chibi."

Naruto elicited a growl in reply, a clear red tick on his forehead. "Would stop calling me chibi!"

Akane smirk grew, "Alright…runt."

"And runt!"

"Fine, midget."

Naruto banged his head on the table in frustration, while Akane smiled victoriously and sat across from him. First Kyuubi and now Akane. The two were somewhat alike in personality, well at least the part to annoy him was.

Hiroshi brought the food in and set it on the table, before taking a seat between Naruto and Akane. To Naruto's displeasure the food wasn't ramen, but he enjoyed it anyway.

They ate in comfortable silence until Akane decided to question Naruto.

"So Naruto if you're from Konoha, why aren't well…in Konoha?"

Naruto set down his chopsticks solemnly, "It's a long story, but long story short I have to do something before I can return."

Akane raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering what it was he had to do, but knew better then to ask.

An uncomfortable silence followed after, which was then broken by Hiroshi.

"So Akane, didn't you say something about leaving in next week sometime?"

Akane swallowed her food, and nodded, "Yes we're having a meeting next Wednesday."

Naruto raised an eyebrow curiously, "We?"

Akane turned to Naruto, "The Resistance is having a meeting next Wednesday. You see for the past five years we have been creating an army that will one day claim back Ta no Kuni from the snake's filthy hands. Every member of the resistance has been training day in and day out to sharpen our skills, in order to overthrow the snake's oppression."

Naruto nodded, before standing up from his seat at the table. He cleaned up after himself before walking towards the front door, only to be stopped by Akane's voice.

"We're you going now?"

Naruto turned his head around to face her and grinned, "Training."

Akane huffed, "Just don't come back unconscious. Got it?"

"Will do," Naruto answered, before shutting the door behind him.

Akane shook her head with a knowing smile, _'Guess we're not the only one's that are so dedicated to becoming stronger.'

* * *

_

(September 12th; 6:23PM; Tuesday; Ta no Kuni)

Naruto walked towards the clearing and observed his surroundings warily, for he did not want Kyuubi pinning him to the ground again.

"Kyuubi-semsei!" Naruto called, cupping his hands in front of his mouth. A silence greeted him so he called again, "Kyuubi-sensei!"

When again he got no answer, he calmly sat down and leaned against the trunk of a tree. Naruto realized that maybe he might be a little early, so he settled for waiting and passing the time by watching the clouds. Cloud watching brought on the memories of a certain lazy Nara, someone he somewhat missed. If anyone one he missed Tsunade, and Sakura-chan came second. It hadn't been that long when he had seen them last, but he knew it would be a while until he saw them again, and that was what made him realize how long until he could see them again. Pushing his thoughts aside, he watched the clouds with an empty stare.

Naruto heard a rustle from the bushes, and stood up while patting himself to rid of the excess dirt on his clothing.

Naruto turned around to face Kyuubi, but was met with a different familiar face.

Naruto's jaw dropped in shock, "Ero Sennin?"

The white-haired man smirked, "You have a lot of explaining to do kid."


End file.
